Lake Annecy

A crescent-shaped Alpine lake of glacial origin in the Haute-Savoie, reaching 65 metres in depth with a shoreline of wooded slopes and limestone ridges. The lake's exceptional water clarity — among the cleanest naturally occurring freshwater bodies in Europe — makes it notable for cold-water swimming, kayaking, and paragliding from the surrounding ridges. Dawn light from the Bout-du-Lac nature reserve at the southern end reflects the surrounding summits without distortion.